Car-coupling link



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1. O..W. FERGUSON. GAR COUPLING LINK.

No. 408,962. Patented Aug. 13, 1889.

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, (No Model.) I 2 Sheets-Sheet G. W. FERGUSON.

GAR COUPLING LINK. I No. 408,962. Patgnheigu $3 1889;

N. PETERS. Pnomuum m ber. Wum'mgiun, u C

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE,

CHARLES \V. FERGUSON, OF JANESVILLE, VISCONSIN.

CAR-COUPLING LINK.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,962, dated August 13, 1889.

Application filed June 8, 1889- Serial No. 313,588- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES XV. FERGU- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Janesville, in the county of Rock and State of YVisconsin, have invented new and useful Improvements in Car Coupling Links, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to automatically-coupling links for railway-car couplings; and my improvements therein consist in the improved construction and arrangement or combination of parts hereinafter fully disclosed in the description, drawings, and claims.

The objects of my invention are, first, to provide improved means for automatically coupling two common pin-and-link drawheads; second, to provide a two-part couplinglink with means for automatically connecting the two parts of said link; third, to provide a link for common pin-and-link draw-heads which is composed of two parts having springactuated jaws and a shouldered-bar engaged by said jaws, and, further, to provide improved means for separating said jaws for uncoupling. These obj cots are attained in the link illustrated in the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which the same reference-numerals indi cate the same parts, and in Which Figure 1 represents a horizontal section of two common pin-and-link draw-heads coupled by my improved link, showing said link in top plan view; Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the draw-heads, showing the links in plan view and uncoupled; Fig. 3, a side viewof the link, showing the draw-heads and coupling-pins in section and the springs removed; and Fig. 4, a perspective view of the separate parts of the link, showing the springs in dotted lines.

In the drawings, the numerals 1 1 indicate the draw-heads, which are common pin-andlink draw-heads, as usually employed, and are provided with the usual coupling-pins 2.

The coupling-link is composed of two parts 3, which are each composed of two jaws 4, formed with broad side portions 5, having square recesses or holes 6, and with hookshaped ends 7, which are of one-half the width or thickness of the side portions and curved in opposite directions to fit one upon the other, as seen in Fig. 4. Said jaws are pivoted together by a pin 8, inserted through holes in the middles of the curved portions of the hook-shaped ends '7, and nearer to the back edges of the same than to the front edges for the purpose of lea'vii'lg a greater portion of iron for the co uplin g-pin to wear upon than at the near edge, where there will be no wear. Flat springs 9 are secured to the outside of the side portions 5 of the jaws and bear against the sides of the hook-shaped ends 7, serving to keep the side portions of the jaws in their normal positions parallel with-each other. A pin 10 is secured to the inner side of one jaw a short distance (about two inches) from the end of the same and near the upper edge of said jaw, and said pin bears with its end against the inner side of the opposite jaw and prevents the springs of said jaws from closing them together beyond their normal parallel position.

A bar 11, Fig. 4, is formed with shoulders 12 at both sides of its ends and with rounded ends, and the shoulders of said bar may e11- gage the recesses or holes (3 of the jaws. The rounded ends of said bar may enter between and force apart the beveled or rounded ends of the jaws, so that when the bar is held between one pair of jaws and is forced against another pair of jaws itmay spread said jaws apart and enter between them until the shoulders enter the recesses or holes in the jaws, which will again resume their normal position.

In practice one pair of jaws is placed in each draw-head, and the pins 8 are inserted to hold themjn place. The transverse pin 10 of one pair of jaws will prevent them from being forced too far back in the recess of the draw-head, and the shouldered bar 11 is held between the opposite pair of jaws and will prevent that pair of jaws from being forced too far back in that draw-head, said pin and shouldered bar coming in contact with and stopping against the coupling-pins of the respective draw-heads when the pairs of jaws are forced back into the same.

\Vhen the draw-heads are brought together for coupling, by moving the cars to which said drawheads are attached together the shouldered coupling-bar which projects from one pair of jaws in a draw-head will spread apart and enter between the opposite pair of jaws until the shoulders will enter the recesses or holes in the same, when the springs upon said jaw will force them together and hold said bar. The link will now be connected and the cars coupled.

\Vhen it is desired to uncouple the parts of the links, and consequently the cars, a piece or bar 13,havinga cross-head 14, formed with a rounded forward edge, is placed above the coupling-bar of that pair of jaws which is provided with the transverse pin 10, so that the inner end of said piece or bar bears against said pin. The rear or inner end of said bar 13 has a cross-bar 13-3, which rests upon the arms 5 5 of the coupling-link, and with which it may bear against the outer side of the draw-head, and thus, in conjunction with the transverse pin 10, serve to prevent said piece or bar 13 from being forced back into the draw-head. A chain 13 is secured to said cross-bar and to the end of the car, so that the piece or bar may be suspended within convenient reach when not in use. The cars are then brought together, and the rounded edge of said piece or bar will spread the opposite jaws apart until the ends of its cross head will be engaged by two notches or recessesl5 in the inner faces of the jaws and be held by the same. The cross-head or shouldered end of the coupling-bar may now be withdrawn from between the spread jaws by moving the cars apart, and the piece or bar will be withdrawn from the jaws of the draw-head by the pull of the car upon its chain, leaving the parts of the link ready for coupling. It is obvious from the foregoing that this link will render common pin-and-link couplings automatically operative, so that railway-ears may be automatically coupled or uncoupled without any change in their construction, nothing being changed excepting the link, which will thus form a coupling within a coupling. In consequence of this the change from the use of common pin-and-link couplings upon the cars of a railway to the use of automatic couplings may be carried out without great expense, inasmuch as the links only will re quire to be changed from common links to my improved links.

liaving thus fully described the construction and arrangement or combination of the several parts of my improved automaticallycoupling link, its operation and advantages, what I claim as new is 1. An automatically-eonpling link for common draw-heads, consisting of two pairs of springactuated jaws, and a COHDllllg-hll' adapted to have its shouldered ends engaged by said jaws, substantially as described.

2. In combination with two common drawheads and eoupling'pins, a link composed of two pairs of spring-actuated jaws, a couplingbar having its shouldered ends engaged by said jaws, one of said pairs of jaws having a transverse pin near their outer ends, substantially as described.

3. A coupling-link forcommon draw-heads,

consisting of a pair of spring-actuated jaws having a transverse pin near their outer ends, a pair of opposite spring-actuated jaws, and a coupling-bar having its shouldered ends engaged by said jaws, substantially as described.

4. An antomatically-coupling link for common draw-heads, consisting of two pairs of jaws having recesses in their inner sides of their outer portions and hooked inner ends pivoted together, springs secured to the sides of said jaws, and a coupling-bar having its shouldered ends engaged by the recesses of said jaws, substantially as described.

5. An automatically-coupling link forcommon draw-heads, consisting of a pair of jaws 1 having broad side portions 5, formed with holes or recesses (i, and hook-shaped rear ends curved in opposite directions and pivoted together by a pin 8, a similar pair of jaws having a transverse pin 10 secured to the inner side of one jaw, springs 0 secured to the broad side portions of said pairs of jaws and bearing against their hooked ends, and a coupling'bar having shouldered cross-heads at its ends for engaging the recesses of said jaws, sul'istantially as described.

(5. In combination with two common drawheads and coupling-pins, and a link secured in said draw-heads by said pins and composed of two pairs of spring-actuated jaws having recesses in their inner sides and having notches in the inner sides of one pair of jaws and of a bar having two cross-heads engaging the recesses of said jaws, a piece or bar l3, having a cross-head 14 at one end, formed with a curved forward edge and adapted to bear with its inner end in one pair of jaws and to enter between and spread apart the opposite pair of jaws and to engage the notches of said jaws with the ends of its crosshead, substantially as described.

7 In combination with two common drawheads and couplingpins, and a link secured in said draw-heads by said pins and composed of two pairs of spring-actuated jaws having recesses in their inner sides and having notches in the inner sides of one pair of jaws, and of a bar having two cross-heads engaging the recesses of said jaws, a piece or bar 13, having a cross-head 14: at one end and formed with a curved forward edge, and a cross-bar 13' at the other end, and a chain attached to said piece or bar and to the ear, said piece or bar being adapted to rest between one pair of jaws to bear against the draw-head with its cross-bar, to enter between and spread apart the opposite pair of jaws and to engage the notches of said jaws, sub stantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

CHARLES 3V. FERGUSON.

Witnesses:

I). C. \VAEKE, A. N. SHIRLEY. 

